The vocalist says: “I want to thank everybody for all your great messages – they’ve cheered me up. I’m feeling OK. I’m really sore from the operation and breathing is still a bit dodgy sometimes, but apart from that I’m getting better and better every day.”

As for the follow-up to 2018’s Thunderbolt, Biff says: “Nigel Glockler has started drums this week in Germany. Next week, Paul Quinn and Doug Scarratt start the guitars and the plan is for me to start doing vocals around January/February, and that will help me get into shape for the shows coming up.”

He adds: “I’ve got some solo album news coming soon – it’s finished, but I’ll not tell you about that today.

“So everything is great and once again thank you for all the messages and thanks to the NHS for being brilliant and getting me to the experts in time.”

Saxon’s rescheduled tour will now take place in March, with the planned Scottish show at the Braehead Arena now moved to Glasgow’s Barrowland Ballroom.

Biff explains: “I am very sorry that we couldn’t reschedule the previously announced show at Braehead Arena with the full production we had planned, but after a couple of weeks of trying to get availability at Braehead Arena and other Scottish venues that could house the production we had drawn a blank.

“We decided we had to play a show for all our fans in Scotland and the Barrowland stepped up with clearing the date we needed.

“Unfortunately due to the Barrowland’s size restrictions we cannot put the Castles & Eagles production in and hope you all understand, but we will try to make this as special a show for you as possible.”

Girlschool will join Saxon as special guests on the new dates which can be found below.